April 2, 2009

It’s amazing how food has become one of the most engaging topics in media, especially on the internet. Food is a bonafide media darling. It’s more popular than Oprah, Paris Hilton and Barack Obama, combined. Nutritional importance aside, if just our interest in food could be harnessed as energy it would power every home on Earth. I bet there’s a new food blog created every hour of every day.

And why not? We have an insatiable appetite for this stuff! We know all the celebrity chefs by name. We support the countless number of food websites out there, scouring the web for recipes, news and information. Even the most casual among us enjoy watching The Food Network from time to time (and we’re even starting to admit it, too).

Food is our obsession. We want to experience it with all our senses, swoon over it with our friends, follow it around with our cameras, write it love notes, canonize its artists, and build great houses of worship in its honour. We consume food like, well, food. It really isn’t just something we eat, anymore.

Ok, we get it. Everyone’s talking about it. Now what?

Well, the first thing to do is find out what people are saying, and who they’re talking about.Television, radio, newspapers and the internet are where we normally get our information.These are great advertising outlets for big businesses with big marketing budgets, but small businesses need people talking about them, too.

One 30-second Super Bowl commercial alone costs $3 million to air!And why is it so expensive?Because millions of people will see the message, and this is very important for business.

Since very few businesses this much to spend on advertising and other resources, there has to be a better way – and there is!You can reach millions of people just like Pepsi and Budweiser, and do it by spending hardly any money at all.

Social Media Saves You Time and Money

With social media, you contribute a little, and receive lots in return.Here’s how it works:

Say you want to take a swim, but have no pool and only one litre of water.What do you do?Well, you collect 10,000 other people just like you who have only one litre of water but want to swim, and let a social media platform like Industry Blender serve as your pool.If everyone contributes their litre of water to the pool, then everybody gets to swim!All you’re paying for is the cost of the pool which, because of the volume of users, is very low.

The Power of Collaboration – Imagine the Impossible!

If you operate a bakery, for example, social media platforms are helpful because they allow you to link with other bakeries in your area quite easily.Before you know it, there are 100 bakeries in your group.

You talk to each other about the challenges you face, share stories, recommend, give advice, and team up.You provide each other with easy-to-access information and resources, which means no more searching all over to find what you need.Over time, the sum becomes much bigger than the whole of its parts.

Know your Competitors

Wouldn’t this group make things too competitive, you ask?

Not really.A large group of bakeries will get much more attention than a single one here and there, and attracting bakery customers is your primary goal.You can also use social media to keep up with what other businesses are doing.Watch what successful companies do and try to emulate those strategies.Social media gives you detailed access to this information, and makes it really easy to find.

On the other hand, since no two bakeries are alike, you can celebrate your differences and market to different types of customers.One bakery may specialize in custom wedding cakes, while another is set up for mass production.The great thing about social media is you can have an actual conversation with your customers, which puts a face to your business that people require these days before they will buy.Cultivate relationships, reinforce your brand, and take control of what is being said about you.

Market to Millions of People on a Small Budget

The ultimate goal is to be highly visible to people searching for bakeries, and from there you develop niches and set yourself apart.This large union of bakeries is very noticeable to customers, and now you’re a force which demands attention.Now that you’re getting noticed, other bakeries will want to join your group, and soon you’re a powerhouse of bakeries.You continue to pool your resources, become more and more visible to potential customers, and everyone does better business in the end.

Harnessing the Power and Speed of the Internet to Stay Competitive

Things happen very fast, so you must be able to converse quickly. If you have lobsters or other inventory that hasn’t been selling that you need to get rid of immediately, you can’t wait to announce a special in the paper, or count on a sign being seen on your restaurant or around town.

The best method is to post your information where other seafood lovers go for the latest information, just like how Craigslist works for people with classifieds.Advertising online is instant; there’s no need to wait for the “next issue,” or worry if you have missed a deadline date

Word of Mouth Advertising

One reality emerging is that people trust word of mouth more than advertising.This is why customer referrals are so important.

People love commenting about restaurants, movies, etc…, so use their opinions as free advertising.Post referrals you’ve received on your website and use them in your other marketing, as well.Information that comes from unbiased members of the general public is most powerful in influencing the decisions of others.

Encourage comments about your business because, on the internet, they spread fast or “go viral.” You’re probably worried about negative feedback, and, yes these spread faster than positive comments, in fact.But not everyone is going to be happy, so luckily social media is very defensible.You can quickly put out fires before they spread because you’re always conversing with your customers.

Most social media sites like IndustryBlender.com allow customers to comment directly about the goods and services they received.These comments are set in stone, so if you’re a business that takes care of its patrons and provides an excellent service, you will be rewarded.